1
as in infectious
capable of being passed by physical contact from one person to another
a cold is often catching before the symptoms even begin
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in spreading
exciting a similar feeling or reaction in others
a catching smile that instantly puts patients at ease
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in grabbing
to take physical control or possession of (something) suddenly or forcibly
we tried to catch the kitten before she could sneak out the door
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in getting
to become affected with (a disease or disorder)
you'll catch the flu for sure if you don't get a shot
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stopping
to bring (something) to a standstill
I caught myself just as I was about to step into the freshly poured concrete
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in securing
to put securely in place or in a desired position
caught back her hair with a barrette
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in knowing
to have a clear idea of
I didn't catch the point you were making about our nation's foreign policy
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in tricking
to cause to believe what is untrue
a number of media outlets were caught by the woman's hard-luck story
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in encountering
to come upon face-to-face or as if face-to-face
I'll catch you at the library tomorrow
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in noticing
to make note of (something) through the use of one's eyes
I looked out the window just in time to catch the neighbor's dog digging up my flower bed
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
9
as in chasing
to move fast enough to get even with
despite the suspect's considerable lead, the fleet-footed police officer was able to catch him and make an arrest
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of catching
Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 11 Aug. 2025
The left-handed hitting backstop has been touted for his offense and is considered one of the best young catching prospects in the game.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 6 Aug. 2025
Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2025
In the first half, Dwyer torched North Carolina for 92 yards while catching all seven of his targets.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catching
Adjective
Carlos Narvaez will return to the starting lineup on Monday, but the Red Sox are adding some extra catching depth anyway.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 11 Aug. 2025
The left-handed hitting backstop has been touted for his offense and is considered one of the best young catching prospects in the game.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 6 Aug. 2025
Verb
Marsh made the first out of the inning, catching a Sal Frelick flyout.
—Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2025
In the first half, Dwyer torched North Carolina for 92 yards while catching all seven of his targets.
—Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for catching
Recent Examples of Synonyms for catching
Adjective
-
The infectious energy and Justin Bieber-style appeal of 25-year-old country hitmaker Bailey Zimmerman was not reflected in the CMA nominations.—
Marcus K. Dowling,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
-
For example, a range of different infectious pathogens and diseases can lead to different chronic medical conditions such as COVID-19 leading to long COVID, human papillomavirus to cervical cancer, Helicobacter pylori to stomach ulcers and cancer, Epstein-Barr Virus to lymphoma.—
Bruce Y. Lee,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
More than a month after his death, Ozzy Osbourne’s music has largely slipped away from the Billboard charts following the headline-grabbing news that one of rock’s founding fathers had passed away.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
-
SpaceX was also famously involved in funding and operating the headline-grabbing Polaris Dawn crewed commercial mission in September 2024.—
Eric Lagatta,
AZCentral.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
After the game, Witt was getting treatment and a further evaluation.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
-
To give so many deaf people the opportunity to work on a high-end TV drama was a really cool side bonus to getting Reunion made – not to mention the dozens of fantastic deaf actors who came in to play various roles in the show.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
For thinkers like Ratti, the time for stopping or slowing climate change has passed, and the time for climate adaptation is upon us.—
Kate Wagner,
Curbed,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The European Commission isn't stopping with financial penalties, though.—
Ryan Whitwam,
ArsTechnica,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Pulte’s criminal referral against Cook presented Trump with another avenue for bending the traditionally independent Fed to his will, securing a majority of the Fed’s board by firing Cook, a move that Cook has sued to block.—
Robert Faturechi,
ProPublica,
6 Sep. 2025
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Despite securing a landslide election victory in July 2024, Labour is now facing a rising challenge from the upstart anti-immigration Reform UK party, which currently leads national opinion polls and is holding a national conference in Birmingham on Friday.—
Max Foster,
CNN Money,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Shades of brown everything is a big color trend for fall, which means knowing how to style brown boots with black has become a necessary skill.—
Abby Morgan Lebet,
Glamour,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The city's restaurants, cafés, and bars reflect the diversity of Chicago's neighborhoods, and knowing where to stay is the key to having convenient access to the best spots.—
Kate Kassin,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
What does work is tricking her into pressing a button that knocks her out.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
4 Sep. 2025
-
While the Phantom Hacker attack is designed specifically to drain your bank accounts, there are plenty of variants relying on tricking you into installing dangerous software that either gives an attacker a view of your device or hijacks it completely.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Car accidents are statistically more common than encountering a defective medical device.—
Matt Lowe,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Research shows that new experiences—like stepping outside and encountering a new environment while working out—trigger the brain's reward system.—
Cristina Mutchler,
Verywell Health,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Catching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/catching. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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